Freedom in the Water
by Maiden-of-the-Elements
Summary: But the water's behind the gate. Naruto only dared to dream what it was like to own that much money. With one ruthless clan and a gated pool during the hot summer months, can Naruto see through the kindness of Hinata to the love within?


I would like to send out a special thanks to "_**The Gandhara**_" for point blank telling me that my story was boring. It has been changed. **That does not mean you can leave a review saying "It's boring" and leave it at that!!! . **

It's my birthday today ;p (June 21) so leave me some nice reviews!

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It was hot in the fire country's capitol the first week after genin training school let out for summer. Heat waves rose off the orange rooftops and burned the exposed metal piping till you could cook both an egg and rice on top of it and made omelet rice.

Shops were closing as early as lunchtime if they had no air-conditioning, sacrificing business for a few degrees. If they had one; they stayed open, but kept their doors closed and windows curtained.

Konoha resembled a ghost house with the wind blowing dust and garbage down the streets like an old western.

The wind blew the empty swing back and forth under the trees of the empty genin playground. The windows were closed and the doors were locked as Iruka-sensei left for his annual trip to the water country, which lasted most of the summer. Sarutobi-sama had granted him that one wish on the grounds that it was the only thing that kept him sane after months and months of teaching young children discipline of a shinobi.

The man had developed a muscle twitch in his eyes.

Sarutobi had always had a personal concern for Iruka's mental health. Not even an iron-control interrogation ninja like Ibiki Morino could take the strain like Iruka.

Not to mention the mental scars that parents were threatening to sue over for that one time they did try.

So every year Iruka packed his bags and took off in a trail of dust clouds for the southern beaches of the Mist Country. And everyone thought his deeply skin colour was natural—all around tan baby!

Naruto Uzumaki—the one who began the eyeball twitch in his genin days—however, sprawled across the frame of his unmade bed in just his boxers. The little portable fan whined as it tried to cool the sweat beaded skin of Naruto's chest. His breathing was shallow.

"Aw man……..I'm dying. I never thought it could get so hot in Konoha; it's never gotten this hot in Konoha. It's to hot to even eat ramen." He complained.

With its bare walls and chipping paint, this wasn't the greatest apartments in Konoha but it was all he was given. He could count himself lucky that he didn't have to have a roommate or pay rent-- since he was an orphan; too young to get a real job--- Konoha provided for him. He had a place to stay and a weekly allowance that he added to by doing low-rank shinobi jobs like pulling weeds and delivering packages.

He was never starving for food or lacking a place to sleep, but everything he wanted he had to save a long time for. Normal things kids his age would have their parents buy for them; books, clothes, groceries….. He was on his own since he could remember so this was pretty much normal to him.

The upside of this he picked up right away from watching other kids and their families; no one could say no to him. Nobody went "No Naruto, you can't have that" "I'm not getting that for you". Nobody could refuse if he had the money.

Except the guy who sold the dirty magazines.

But he'd find away around him eventually.

'_But it's too hot to work today… I can't even…move. I wish I had some nice cold noodles…noodles with tofu… mmmm… Icy cold noodles'_…Naruto lost himself in his daydream of cold food for a while to pass the time.

He turned over again and again to find a cool spot on his sheets and discovered with a bump to his head that the wooden floor is even cooler then his sheets. He waved hello to his pet dust bunny Shiro and proceeded to think up names for the many offspring of the prolific bunny.

"I'll call you Ero."

"And you, Raka."

"Mika"

"Shizu"

"Kiki"

"Chi"

"And you can be…..Pedro!" Naruto smiled at his small bunnies. (A.N. You thought they'd all be Japanese? My pet dust bunny under my bed I named Pedro)

The heat over the village dissolved as the sun headed towards the tree line in the early evening. The colours gradually deepened as the shadows across the street got longer. The haze in front of the sun turned a violent red colour as the veiled sun sank into a deep bronze orange.

Doors started to open and people started filing out into streets as hanging strings of lights and streetlamps were turned on one by one. Steam started drifting out of the open air restaurants and bars as woks and grills were primed and fired up. Couples and friends met and traveled along in groups up and down the streets, clad in sandals and light cotton wear. Some women were coming out in light printed yukatas and were carrying large bamboo fans.

A small group of children passed by in a game of tag on the way to the river passed under Naruto's window. The gentle smell of shish kabob glided over his nose and the boxer clad sloth slowly raised its head at the promise of food after its long sleep. (A.N. Sry—had a discovery channel moment there.)

Naruto's mind was still in a fog as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned widely.

"Wh--Yaaaaaawn- am I on the floor?" he drawled, scratching his head.

He lazily fished through his pile of clothes at the foot of the bed and pulled out his black T-shirt and orange pants. He tied his jacket around his waist incase he stayed out until it got chilly. Nights still brought dew to the grass and the shade of the trees soon absorbed the heat being released by the concrete houses.

Naruto walked over to the bathroom and turned on the light, he didn't need to shut the door since it was only him there. He turned the tap and let water run into a little pool in his cupped hands.

"Ahhhhhhh that feels better" he sighed as he splashed the water over his face then did it again to run it through his hair. Finger combing his hair into bigger, clumped blond spikes Naruto took of towards the front door.

Locking the door behind him and setting his wire triggered senbon traps against burglars Naruto hummed while thinking about what kind of work he could find tonight. The night was young and Naruto cheerfully vaulted over the steps and into the street. He picked up his pace and jogged out into the light of Market Street.

Hinata opened her light eyes, eyes the colour of a moths wings, and arched her back in a muscle pulling stretch. She slid of her bed where she had been meditating in the lotus position for the last three hours. Shrugging her shoulders and rolling her head she worked all the kinks out of her slender body that she hid beneath the thick fur-lined jacket.

Hinata smiled and walked over to the large windows of her windows and swung them out all the way. The cooling breeze brushed past her to stir the gauze drapes on either side of the window and Hinata closed her eyes as the breeze lifted the hair at the nape of her neck. '_It's so nice'_ she thought, and gave a contented sigh.

It was very short, Hinata decided, but it was best to keep out of her way during her ninja training. It also kept her from getting too hot and having it to tie it up.

The scents from the garden met Hinata's nose, bring the scents of lilies, marigolds, and Jasmine. The garden had been Hinata's mother; Hyuuga, Hideyo. Her mother had loved to train the jasmine vines to grow up poles and the surrounding trees that bordered the gardens. Hinata's little sister had been named after her mother's love of flowers. Hanabi: Hideyo's little fire-flower, fireworks.

It was shortly after her sister's birth that Hideyo grew weak and passed quietly away. Hinata still remembered how life was before her mother died. Before she was deemed a failure to the Clan.

'_But that was before I met Kurenai-sensei, or Shino and Kiba. That was before I even met Naruto-kun. I would not have wanted to miss meeting them, even if Okasan lived instead.'_

Hinata got up from where she rested on the windowsill to open her wardrobe and pull out a nice yukata to wear outside. She wanted to run into her teammates so perhaps they could all do something fun.

Kiba was always fun, Hinata giggled. The dog-loving ninja was always very enthusiastic about everything, even if he was a little loud and wild. Shino was much more open when with just his teammates then when with strangers. He could even make jokes, not that most people ever got them.

Hinata quietly closed her bedroom door behind her and with a swish of her sleeves padded silently as any ninja would be proud of down the hall.

Neji chose that moment to exit his own room—where he was doing god knows what—and his door swung outwards. Right into Hinata's approaching face.

_**WHAM!!!**_(A.N. I would love to say she broke right through the door like a charging rhino, but alas)

**THUMP**

Neji froze in the doorway, knowing he had hit somebody. He had little hope thinking it was just one of the servants or another branch member.

'_Kuso, I'm in trouble. When they find out it was me, whoever hit the door is going to punish me for my carelessness_.'

'_Please don't be Hisashi. Please don't be Hisashi_.' Neji clenched his jaw, expecting to find the fuming clan head ready to kill him as he stuck his head round the other side of the door.

"Ooooooo…….." Neji stared at the swirling eyes of the clan heiress lying on the floor. She had a red mark the size of a bun on her forehead that rose starkly against her pale skin.

Neji sigh and closed his eyes with relief as he leaned against the doorframe for a minute. He couldn't have chosen a better person to hit. Hinata wouldn't punish him or report him to her father—Heck, she was probably going to start apologizing as soon as she regained consciousness.

Neji let out another sigh and walked down the hallway to go into another room. He emerged with a damp washcloth and made his way back to Hinata.

Propping her up in a sitting position against the wall Neji held the cool cloth against her forehead. '_I hope she doesn't take long to wake up_' he frowned, someone could see them.

As soon as the wetness made contact with her injury Hinata's eyelids fluttered. She raised a small hand to her head and jerked into awareness when it came back damp. She opened her eyes wide and whipped her head toward Neji.

His frowning face greeted her. She sprang to her feet like a Jack-in-the-Box.

"I-I-Sumimasen Ne—Neji-san! I'm s-so sorry! I-I di-didn't watch where I was going!" Hinata stumbled over her rushed apology as she punctured her words with bowing.

"Stop that. The Hyuuga heiress should not bow to those lower then her status….It was my fault anyway; I was the one that opened the door." Neji admitted.

"B-But I-I should have watched where I was going!" Hinata said as she stared at the floor. Her foot scuffed the floor as she wrung her hands.

"Hn…………..Just forget about it then." Neji then turned his back to her and proceeded to walk down the hall.

"We-Well I-. I'll be going now, then" Hinata stuttered unsurely at his retreating back.

"T- "

"_Take care" _were the words on the tip of Neji's tongue before he could stop them.

Resisting the urge to look behind to see if she heard, he kept his spine straight and listened to hear the hallway empty except for himself.

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TA-DA!! An updated, longer, and all around better Chapter 1!!! I update on my birthday for you people!

Now REVIEW!!!


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